Hanging In The Balance, Take II
by AriAndTheBeast
Summary: A look at the very worst-case scenario of what could've happened after Vincent locked himself away in "Out Of Control".
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So I posted this story back in December, but over the last few months I've chipped away at it and cleaned it up a bit. I think it reads much better now. I'm toying with the idea of writing something new, but thought I'd re-vamp this in the meantime. Enjoy! :-)**

***This story is a look at the very worst-case scenario of what could've happened after Vincent locked himself away at the end of "Out Of Control". It's rated 'R' due to violence and language.**

**VCVCVC**

Cat rolled onto her stomach at 3:01am, searching her nightstand aimlessly in the dark for her buzzing cellphone. Sleep hadn't come easily that night. She'd left the warehouse earlier in the day with a heavy heart for Vincent's condition. The thought of him in self-exile gnawed away at her, especially considering it looked like she was to blame. She had only managed to calm her racing thoughts and find some rest an hour or so before. The flashing of Tess's face on her screen meant a new case had likely fallen into their laps. With a groan, Cat went to answer it. Sleep would elude her for now.

"Chandler."

"Hey bud, sorry for the early wake-up call. Listen, a body dropped and we're up in the rotation."

In spite of herself, Cat smiled at the sound of Tess's friendly voice. After the last day she had, she would welcome her partner's company.

"That's alright, I couldn't sleep anyway. Where do I need to go?"

Tess exited her apartment building and headed toward her NYPD-issued Dodge Charger. "It's in Hell's Kitchen. I've gotta drive past your place anyway, how about I just pick you up?"

"Sounds good, see you in a few."

Cat hopped out of bed and grabbed a pair of jeans and a thermal. A pair of boots completed the ensemble. In a few moments, she was ready to roll. With a glance toward the fire escape and a heavy sigh, she took her gun and badge and hurried out of her apartment.

**VCVCVC**

Vincent sat alone in the darkness, contemplating what had gotten him there. It seemed so cruel that fate would make the cure to his sadness, the balm for his humanity, also the cause for his recent blackouts. Muirfield never stopped taking from him.

J.T., after some coaxing from Vincent, went out on a date with one of his colleagues, leaving Vincent with nothing but his thoughts. He felt it was better that way, though. He probably wouldn't make the best company right now. So there he sat, while his depression sank in, deeper. But he couldn't keep his highly evolved ears from turning toward Catherine every now and then. The sound of her voice, her breathing, her heartbeat brought him a sense of peace.

At least he had that.

**VCVCVC**

20 minutes later, Cat and Tess pulled up to the crime scene. Before Cat could open the door, Tess gently grabbed her arm.

"Hey, are you okay? I don't think I've ever seen you look this down before." She questioned, concern evident in her gape.

Cat offered her a weak smile. "I'm fine, just a small case of the blues. Nothing I can't handle."

That seemed to placate Tess for the moment. "Okay, but if you ever want to talk about it, I got you."

The two of them got out of the car and walked toward Evan. There was only one other squad car on the scene aside from his Medical Examiner Van.

"Took you two long enough to get here, most everyone's already gone back to the precinct." Evan said with a smirk.

Tess rolled her eyes. "Whatever dude, you try getting across town in under thirty minutes, I don't care _what_ time it is."

While Cat usually enjoyed their banter, sleep was calling her name. "Back to your corners, guys. What've we got?" She asked while kneeling to pull back the sheet covering up the victim.

"Call came in for gunshots about an hour ago, however no witnesses stuck around long enough to make a statement. This man, who, according to his identification goes by the name Joseph Baumann, died of ten GSW's to the chest, arms and legs."

Tess's brows shot up. "Can't say they weren't thorough. Do you think it was a gang hit?"

Catherine dropped the sheet and shook her head in disgust. No matter how long she'd been with the force, she still found it difficult to swallow the senseless violence that existed in the world.

She reached for the I.D. still in Evan's hand. "Could be. His address isn't too far from here, why don't we go and find the family. Maybe they can answer some of our questions."

**VCVCVC**

They made their way toward the residence in relative silence, Cat writing some info down while Tess drove. When they hopped out, Tess looked around with a critical eye and felt a nagging suspicion creep in. Always one to trust her instincts, she spoke up.

"Hey, you go talk to the family, I'm gonna have a look around the perimeter."

Catherine gave her a curt nod and headed toward the door.

Tess walked slowly up the street, with a hand on her glock, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity. After so many years as an officer, she'd learned to trust her gut, and right now it was telling her that something was up. However, she wasn't cautious enough, because when she began to pass the entrance of the nearest alleyway, a strong arm pulled her into the darkness, and clamped a hand around her mouth to keep her from yelling out.

**VCVCVC**

After ten solid minutes of banging on the door, Cat scrunched her forehead in frustration. They were either not home or choosing to ignore her. Without a warrant, there was little she could do about it.

It was then that Cat had a chilling realization:

Tess really should have been back by now.

With an icy feeling in the pit of her stomach, Cat gripped the gun on her hip and walked in the direction she'd last seen her partner. She didn't see the masked man that stepped out of the shadows behind her. He prowled from a distance, stalking his target.

As Cat neared the alleyway, she heard the telltale signs of a struggle and sprang in, gun pointed. There were two masked men, one holding Tess while the other looked in her direction, a cocky smirk evident through the opening around his mouth.

"Nobody move. Put your hands up where I can see them—"

Before she could get all the words out of her mouth, the third thug jumped Cat from behind, slamming her as hard as he could into the nearest brick wall. She groaned in pain and her gun clattered to the ground.

But that was nothing compared to what she felt next.

The assailant snatched a large knife from his belt, and without any hesitation, shoved it into her gut, pushing it in all the way to the hilt.

She gasped at the blinding, fantastic pain.

"CAT!" Tess howled, struggling against the guy holding her. She pulled desperately and clawed to get away, but there was nothing to be done, she couldn't match his strength. She bit back a furious sob, feeling utterly useless while he snickered at her efforts. All she could do was watch shell-shocked, as these men took her partner down.

**VCVCVC**

Vincent, who wasn't located that far from the crime scene, had been listening in on Catherine attentively since she got on the case. He could hear everything almost crystal clear from this close of a proximity. His ears perked up when he heard the combination of the scuffle, Catherine's gasp and Tess shouting her name.

He leapt to his feet and slammed himself against the bars of his prison. Vincent roared and his eyes glowed amber when they didn't budge. He pulled and pulled at them but they wouldn't give. The beast revealed itself and continued the effort with maximum strength. But no matter how hard he threw his fists and his body into the reinforced steel, it wouldn't move. His roar of agony made the floor tremble.

**VCVCVC**

Catherine sank in disbelief to her knees, one hand clutching her stomach while she reached aimlessly for her gun. She could hardly manage to move, her energy draining swiftly as blood leached out of her body. One guy kicked the gun out of her reach while the other cracked his fist into her temple. He split her eyebrow open, and rivulets of blood spilled into her eye. She threw her hands up to defend herself as best she could for the next assault, but a cruel kick to her stomach sent her all the way to the ground. She gritted her teeth in stunning pain. A sob welled up in her throat, but she bit it back in quiet defiance.

Cat found Tess's eyes in the middle of it all. She'd never seen her partner cry before. But tonight her tears rolled, unabashed. Tess strained again in vain to pull away from her captor, with the same shameful result. Cat tried to offer her a smile, to convey that it was somehow going to be okay, that they were gonna make it out of this one just like all the other times, but in the end her face contorted into a grimace.

One of the men wrapped his arm around Catherine's neck from behind and pulled her up to her feet. The other one leaned into her ear and whispered, "This is what your get for messing around with that _monster_, you freak."

He grabbed his own blade and thrust it into the other side of Cat's stomach.

Her mouth opened with a silent scream. The feeling sent bolts of agony into every cell, suspending her in time.

Tess moaned in horror and cut her eyes to her captor, pleading to whatever humanity he still had left, "Stop this, PLEASE!"

But he did nothing to stay the execution, only allowing Tess to fall to her knees, her hands still pinned behind her back. She trembled at the sight of her partner, her best friend, dying.

"Oh, God…"

**VCVCVC**

Vincent's roars turned into shoulder-racking sobs. He'd heard everything with perfect clarity. He fisted his hair, rocking on his knees praying for a solution.

It was then that J.T.'s car pulled up the road. Vincent had to wait an agonizing handful of minutes for him to get through the door before he could get his attention.

"J.T.! OPEN THE DOOR! PLEASE J.T., HURRY!"

J.T.'s head shot up at the sound of Vincent's muffled voice. He raced toward the elevator shaft and threw it open.

"What's going on, man?" He asked while fumbling with the lock on the bars.

"Catherine's in trouble." Vincent managed to get out, the anticipation of the door opening killing him. When it did, he became a blur and raced toward the one who held his heart.

**VCVCVC**

Catherine crashed onto her stomach. She tried to push herself up, but just didn't have the strength anymore. She was bleeding out onto the cement. The shoes of the masked men made a sickening, sloshing sound as they stepped in it. One of them grabbed her gun off the ground and aimed it at the back of her scull. He released the safety.

"Please, don't do this…" Tess wept.

"Sorry pretty lady, I've got a message to send."

His finger had just begun to put pressure on the trigger when out of nowhere the beast rammed into him and snapped his neck. Before his body even hit the ground, Vincent was onto the next one.

The man holding onto Tess, who was fully aware of how the tables had turned, let her go and sprinted toward the back of the alley. Tess stumbled toward Cat, having zero interest in the bodies dropping around her. All that mattered was her friend.

She gently rolled Cat onto her back and shrugged off her jacket, pushing it against Cat's wounds to stem the blood loss. She was rolling in and out of consciousness.

"Hang in there, Cat. I'm gonna get you some help, okay?" Tess pulled her phone out of her pocket and called for an ambulance.

Catherine couldn't get her eyes to focus. The thought of resting them for a while was so seductive. She was finally able to hold Tess's stare, but then, with a painful cough, blood dribbled out of the corner of her mouth.

Tess's vision swam. "Fuck!"

Catherine managed to whisper one word before the darkness claimed her completely. "Vincent…"

Her head lolled to the side and the night swallowed her up.

Vincent had just dealt with the last guy when his head whipped toward Catherine's voice. The beast retreated and he was at her side in an instant, grabbing her hand and clutching it to his chest. Tess was nearly knocked back off her feet at his sudden appearance.

"Who—what the hell _are_ you?!" She reached for her gun and pointed it at his chest. "Keep your hands where I can see them and. Step. _Back_." She said through clenched teeth.

Vincent backed away slowly, giving Tess an earnest expression. "I know you're her partner Tess, but I'm here to help." He cast a tortured glance at Catherine. She was losing _so_ much blood. "I'm a doctor, and more than that, I love Catherine. And I don't want to lose her any more than you do."

Tess cocked her head at him. "How do you know my name?"

"Please, Tess. I'm one of the good guys. Just let me help."

They had a standoff, Tess looking back and forth from Cat to Vincent, him staring at her, pleading with his eyes.

"This is unreal." She murmured, holstering her gun and dropping back to her knees beside Catherine, taking one of her hands into her own.

Vincent sat on the opposite side of Catherine and he placed his hands where she was bleeding out, using an incredible amount of pressure. He looked at the gashes on her face, and worked his way down to where blood now stained his hands. The sight left him breathless, knowing that Catherine's life was hanging so precariously in the balance. His mind replayed the moment when one of the thugs mentioned her involvement with a beast. It had to be Muirfield's work.

"This is my fault." He whispered.

In the distance, the wailing of sirens could be heard. Vincent would have to leave soon. He would have to leave her fate in the hands of strangers. And as much as that troubled him, what could he do? This was the awful life he had signed up for. But his time on Earth was tethered to Catherine's now. Her fate was his. He leaned down and placed a forbidden kiss on her lips.

The sirens drew nearer. It was time to go.

"I'm _so_ sorry Catherine. Please fight. For Tess, for your sister and your dad. And fight for me."

As the ambulance rounded the corner, Vincent, with one last forlorn glance at Catherine, ran off into the night, leaving behind a very confused Tess and the woman he loved and only wanted to protect.

A frightening roar rang through the city.

**VCVCVC**

The ambulance pulled up and two EMTs jumped out of the back of it. Tess looked up at them with tearful, hopeful eyes.

"Please, help her."

"Mam, we're gonna need you to step back."

Tess moved back and squatted with her hands covering her mouth, taking in the whole gory scene. While one paramedic secured a breathing apparatus onto Cat's face, the other took scissors and cut her top open, letting the two halves fall to the side. He placed large gauze pads against the stab wounds, but in seconds, they were absorbed with blood.

"She's bleeding out too fast, we're gonna need a transfusion STAT."

"We'll call it in from the bus. Let's get her secured and get out of here."

They placed a board beneath Catherine and lifted her in one swift movement onto the gurney. Tess jumped to her feet and trailed behind, pulling her badge out. Given the call she'd put in for the ambulance, the entire precinct was probably going to arrive any minute and it would be her responsibility to give a statement. But there was no way she would leave Cat like this.

"Do you have room for me in there? She's my partner."

The paramedics shared a sympathetic look, the same look Tess and Cat often gave to the families of their victims. She suddenly felt nauseous.

One waved her over. "Hop in."

As soon as the doors shut, the ambulance wailed down the street toward Bellevue Hospital. It was filled with two EMTs hunched over a patient in dire straits while her partner whispered to herself, chanting one word like a prayer. "Please…"

**VCVCVC**

Vincent threw open the warehouse door, startling J.T., who had been pacing a few feet away.

"What the hell happened?" J.T. demanded, raising his eyebrows at Vincent's bloodied hands and shirt.

Vincent hardly registered his question. He just stood in the doorway, staring down at his red, open palms. He turned on his heels and stormed outside and around the building, his speed picking up with each stride until he arrived in front of the junkyard. With a growl, he tore into it, ripping everything in sight to shreds. J.T. ran after him.

"Vincent calm down! Somebody could hear you!" He huffed in exasperation. "Dude, tell me what's going on. I wanna help, but I can't if you don't talk to me."

Vincent lifted a car engine over his head and threw it into the ground. When the dust settled, he clenched his fists and took a long, deep breath. The beast was scratching at the surface. But he couldn't give in right now, not when Catherine needed him most. He turned to face J.T. .

"Catherine was attacked. Three guys jumped her and her partner and she got hurt. Bad."

J.T. gasped. "Oh no… Shit, I'm sorry man. Do you think she's gonna be okay?"

Vincent dropped his chin, a surge of emotions welling within him. "I dunno. She wasn't doing so hot when I left." He trudged back toward the warehouse. He needed to get out of these awful clothes and cleaned up so he could go to the hospital. J.T. fell into step beside him.

"There's something else… I think Muirfield is behind this."

J.T.'s blood ran cold. "Why?"

Vincent bit out a growl at the memory, but relayed the night's events to J.T., not sparing a single detail. His roommate looked a little green at the end of it.

J.T. remained silent for a moment, wrapping his head around it all. But after a moment thinking about it, he found himself conflicted with Vincent's opinion. "It doesn't really sound like Muirfield's M.O."

"Why do you say that?"

"I always got the impression that secrecy was the main priority for those guys. And attacking Cat in front of her partner, regardless of the masks, seems like a risk."

Vincent frowned. "Okay, but that doesn't explain what they said to her."

J.T. shrugged. "I dunno Vince, it's just something to consider."

Vincent nodded and then ran up the stairs two at a time to his loft. He came down a few minutes later and headed for the door.

"I'm going to the hospital." He hollered over his shoulder, not interested in sticking around for J.T. to tell him how stupid or reckless he was being.

But J.T. had no such words on his tongue. He hoped for his friend's sake that he would receive good news. Because he knew that if Catherine died, Vincent would be lost, too.

**VCVCVC**

Tess sat in a private waiting room at Bellevue with her head in her hands, her cellphone curled into her long fingers. It was the type of room that hospital attendants placed the family members of patients that are terminal, or likely to be. They had barreled through the ER doors ten minutes ago and took Cat into surgery immediately. She flat-lined on the way over. Tess had never felt so helpless before. Her voice was raw from screaming at Cat to _fight_ it.

Mercifully, she came back from the abyss. But how long would she be able to hold on? Tess wasn't naive; she didn't need to be told how serious it was.

And that's why she was struggling with calling Heather. How could she tell that girl, who'd already lost so much, that her sister might die tonight?

'Come on, Vargas. This is your responsibility.' She mentally chastised, opening her phone up.

It rang four times before a sleepy voice answered.

"_Hello?"_

Tess let out a deep sigh. "Heather? It's Tess. I need you to sit down, there's something I have to tell you…"

**VCVCVC**

Vincent followed his nose to Catherine's distinctive scent. It led him to the top level of Bellevue, where he knew the surgery theatres were. He followed along each window until he found her.

A surgeon was bent over Catherine while he placed a tube in her side to draw out the bleeding that was taking place internally. There was so much damage, the surgeon had to make a list in his head to prioritize the order in which he addressed each problem. But first and foremost, the bleeding _had_ to stop.

The nurse monitoring Catherine's vitals whipped her head toward the surgeon.

"BP just dropped to 50/30."

He gritted his teeth. "She's going into shock. Start compressions."

Up above, Vincent struggled to maintain his composure. He didn't even realize he was holding his breath. "Come on, Catherine. You can _do it_."

But it was not so.

Her heart monitor flat-lined. "She's crashing. Charge the defibrillators." An assisting doctor passed the paddles to the surgeon. "Charged to 360."

He placed them on Catherine's chest. "Clear!"

Her torso lifted from the table. But there was no change.

"Again!"

The paddles were charged again and promptly placed back onto Catherine's chest.

"Clear!"

_Nothing_.

Vincent felt his own heart stop. He couldn't believe what he was witnessing. She couldn't leave him, not now, not like this.

Could she?

The surgeon tried and tried to resuscitate Catherine. But after ten minutes, they couldn't get her heart to beat on it's own.

The surgeon dropped his head, dejected. "Call it."

The nurse peered up at the clock. "5:08am."

He turned toward the door. "Clear out for a moment while I inform the family."

**VCVCVC**

Half an hour after Tess placed the call, a despondent Heather and her dad arrived at the hospital. Evan and Joe filtered in on both official and personal business. She had to excuse herself so she could clean up in the restroom. It made them all uneasy to see the blood that caked her hands and blouse. A jarring dose of reality for what felt like such a surreal circumstance. She came back with a tray of coffee for everyone.

But not a moment after she entered the room, a doctor in surgical scrubs came in. Tess looked at her watch. They'd been there less than an hour. It wasn't nearly enough time to…

She back-peddled until she hit the wall, her hands flying to the sides of her face. One look into the doctor's eyes and she knew. "Oh no…"

Heather and her dad stood to meet the doctor, not witnessing Tess's reaction.

With a sigh, the doctor began. "I assume you are the family of Catherine Chandler?" They nodded. Heather grabbed her dad's hand and gestured toward the others.

"They're her friends and co-workers. Whatever you have to say to us, you can say to them." Heather said with a conviction she didn't realize she was capable of.

"Very well. I'm Dr. Barnes, I treated Catherine this morning."

Heather stared up at him with sad, fearful eyes. "Is she gonna be okay?"

Dr. Barnes sighed. It really was the worst part of his job. "I'm very sorry to inform you that Catherine expired at 5:08am. There was just too much trauma and loss of blood—"He continued on, talking about grief counselors and how sorry he was for their loss. But nobody was listening. Heather crumbled into her father's arms, crying out for her sister, _begging_ for it not to be true. Evan dropped into a chair, his head falling into his hands while heavy tears seeped from his eyes. Joe pounded his hand against the wall, cursing at how wrong it was. And Tess sank to the ground, placing her head down, her arms wrapped around her knees. She wept openly, her shoulders racking softly. She couldn't take it.

How could Cat be gone?

**VCVCVC**

When the last nurse left the room, Vincent removed the window and slipped inside. He strode over to where Catherine lay, his chest puffing in and out as he took her in. With an anguished cry, he shook his head and locked his hands on her chest, starting compressions.

"I'm not going to let you do this Catherine, you can't leave me." He pushed out with each pump. He bent over and placed his mouth to hers, blowing a breath of air into her lungs.

"Come on, _breathe_." He began compressions again, willing the life back into her.

Moments later, the most glorious sound ever entered his ears: the beeping of a heart monitor. He looked up at it, and cracked a watery smile.

Vincent gazed down at Catherine, running a hand along her face. "That's it, Catherine. Keep fighting." He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I love you, come back to me."

His ears perked up; the hospital staff was coming back. With a shaky breath and a chaste kiss on her cheek, Vincent fled back to his spot outside. He would stay there endlessly if he had to, watching over Catherine like a sentry soldier.

Two nurses and the assisting doctor came into the surgery theatre, expecting to clean up. But when they entered the room, they were shocked to find Catherine's heart beating of its own volition. The doctor rushed up to her in disbelief. He turned to one of the nurses. "Go get Dr. Barnes, now!"

The nurse ran out, finding Dr. Barnes still with the grief-stricken family, talking to an older man, who looked like he had just aged another ten years in the span of a few minutes. She tapped him on the shoulder and whispered in his ear.

"Sir? We need you back in surgery, something incredible has happened."

Dr. Barnes scrunched his brow. "What is it?"

"The Chandler patient is alive. We found her heart beating on its own."

Heather _definitely_ heard that. "Wh_-what _did you just say?"

Dr. Barnes looked in disbelief from the nurse back to five sets of eyes staring at him, placing all of their hopes and future happiness in his lap. He suddenly had the weight of the world on his shoulders. But there wasn't a moment to spare.

He looked directly at Heather. "I have to go, but hopefully I'll be back with much better news. Hang in there, everyone." And with that, Dr. Barnes rushed back to surgery, determined to make good on his word.

**VCVCVC**

After four long, difficult hours of surgery, it was over. Dr. Barnes turned to his assisting doctor.

"Matt, close up for me and send her to the ICU. Fantastic job everyone, I'm going to consult with the family."

An emotionally spent Vincent slid to his knees on the rooftop. He suddenly felt like he hadn't slept in weeks. But he was so grateful for the outcome of the morning. Things had looked very bleak for a moment, for a _few_ moments. His heart thudded in his chest at just the thought of it. And the reality of it was that she wasn't out of the woods just yet. She could still be taken from him. '_Don't even think about it. There's nothing you can do about that right now_.' He reminded himself. So he placed a hand against the frosted glass, staring down at Catherine with nothing short of reverence.

"Get well, Catherine. I'll be here when you wake up."

**VCVCVC**

Tess was wearing in the carpet beneath her boots with her pacing. It had been hours since the doctor left. One would think that she'd be asleep on her feet, after all it had probably been the longest night of her life and she really _was_ exhausted. But her guilt kept her eyes open. If she'd just used some common sense and been more careful, maybe those guys wouldn't have gotten the drop on her. Maybe Cat wouldn't be teetering so perilously between life and death.

Tess took in a shaky breath and ran a hand through her locks. How was she supposed to forgive herself?

If Cat didn't make it, she was sure she wouldn't.

Heather was curled against her father, having a fitful sleep. He had his arm wrapped around her shoulders, squeezing her and trying to offer comfort as best he could. He really hated Catherine's job sometimes. Maybe if she had just become an attorney like she was supposed to, the events of this terrible night would've never taken place.

Evan and Joe stuck around for as long as they could, but after a couple of hours, they had to get back to the morgue and precinct, respectively. Evan, begrudgingly, so that he could perform the autopsy on the men responsible, and Joe so that he could _personally_ work on the investigation. After Tess relayed the night's events, Joe gave her the rest of the week off to have some time to deal. She left out quite a few details about the frightening vigilante that saved them, but what Joe didn't know couldn't hurt her partner. Tess had a feeling that's the way Cat would want it.

Dr. Barnes entered the waiting room with a look in his eyes that Tess much preferred to the one he had last time around. She folded her arms across her chest and walked to greet him. Tom gently shook Heather awake and he and his weary-eyed daughter joined Tess in front of the doctor.

"Good morning everyone. And it _is_ _good_, or at the very least better than it was a few hours ago." He said with a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure I don't need to remind you, but we lost Catherine on the table. She was actually _clinically_ dead for several minutes. The fact that she's here at all is nothing short of miraculous." He said, his expression stern. "Having said that, the injuries she suffered _are_ severe and she'll have to be monitored very closely. But her brush with death and subsequent revival only makes me more confident in her chances. It means she's not giving up." Tess bit back a fresh batch of tears, while Tom squeezed Heather a little tighter to him.

He looked down at the chart in his hands. "The first stab wound punctured, and, ultimately ruptured one of Catherine's kidneys. Unfortunately, it had to be removed. But since she's still young and in excellent physical condition, I have confidence that she'll recover from it. The other stab wound she received was more problematic. Because of where and how the knife entered, it made a wider cross-section of damage. It punctured the edge of her left lung, collapsing it and causing it to fill with blood. We drained it and patched up. That will heal in time on it's own. But the knife also punctured the upper-left quadrant of her intestine, causing sepsis to occur. This caused her to experience septic shock, which, if not properly dealt with, can lead to a full-system failure. She's on an IV giving her plenty of fluids and antibiotics to counteract it. We placed a draining tube in her abdomen, to help filter the toxins out… She's also on her third blood transfusion." He paused for a moment, allowing Tess and the Chandlers to absorb everything he'd just told them. "I know it's a lot, and you all are probably feeling overwhelmed. But like I said before, I have faith that if anyone can make it through this, based on the short but informative time I've spent with her, it's Catherine."

Tom reached out and shook his hand. "Thank you Dr. Barnes, for everything you've done for my daughter."

He smiled graciously. "Please, call me Paul. Catherine is being moved to the ICU right now, I'll have one of the nurses notify you once she's settled in."

And with that, he departed to check on his other patients, leaving a room full of tired, but thankful people. Their daughter, sister and friend was still with them, and that was more than enough to keep them going.

**VCVCVC**

Half an hour later, Catherine was situated in the ICU. The attending nurse, satisfied with her work, turned on her heels to notify Tess and the Chandlers. Vincent, who'd been watching stoically from outside, pulled his hoodie closely around his face and slipped inside her room. He knew he only had a few minutes before her family came in, but he had to see her. Approaching Catherine's bed, he pulled out her chart and looked it over. He had to shut his eyes and clench his jaw to keep from losing control. Even as a former doctor, these sorts of injuries were hard for him to swallow, especially in relation to Catherine. He _never_ wanted her to hurt like this. Releasing a shuttered breath, he pulled a chair up to her bed and gently took hold of her hand, careful of the IV injected into it. There were small bandages above her right brow and her left temple that covered the stitches beneath them. A dark smattering of bruising and dried blood remained on the left side of her face. Several pouches, some full of clear liquids, another with blood, stood on either side of her bed. And a draining tube with a HAZMAT bag attached to the end of it was placed into her side. But the most glaring apparatus was the small breathing tube hanging out of her closed mouth that connected to a ventilator. It made her chest rise and fall in what could only be described as an uncomfortable rhythm. The whole image was _uncomfortable_.

He cleared his throat and went to stand beside Catherine, placing his hand against her unmarked cheek and drew circles against her skin with the pad of his thumb. It was much too cold for his liking.

Vincent gazed at Catherine for a moment, not quite sure what he had in himself to say. So he opened his mouth, hoping the words to come. "You know…when I was a doctor, I used to debate with my colleagues all the time about whether or not patients could hear their loved ones speak to them while they were under." He paused, taking in a shuddered breath.

"I have to believe that it's true. I _have_ to believe that some part of you is with me right now. I'm so, so sorry for all of this. I don't know exactly why it happened yet, but I can't shake the feeling that if I hadn't dragged you into my mess, then you wouldn't be in this position right now; that you wouldn't have to keep fighting my battles. But if you promise to come back, I'll make sure it never happens again." He kissed her hand. "Please, Catherine."

The doorknob to Catherine's room turned, and in a flash Vincent was gone. But he wouldn't be far.

**VCVCVC**

In the wee small hours of the morning on the seventh day since the attack, Catherine woke up alone. But that wasn't really true. Vincent had been sitting outside her window all night, keeping watch diligently. When he heard her wake up, he grinned and pushed the window open, gently stepping inside, cautious not to startle her.

Catherine turned her head in his direction. "My, are you a sight for sore eyes." She said with a sleepy smile and a hoarse voice. The breathing tube that had gone through her mouth had been replaced with a less intrusive one that went through her nose a couple of days before, much to Vincent's relief.

He pulled a chair up to Catherine's bed, and grabbed her hand between his own, bringing it to his lips, and brushed a thankful kiss onto her knuckles.

Catherine, with a great deal of effort, lifted her hand to Vincent's jaw, running her fingers through the short beard that was there now. "You look like you haven't shaved for days. When's the last time you were home?"

Vincent shrugged modestly. "I haven't really left since you were admitted."

Catherine's brow scrunched curiously. "How long have I been out?"

"A week, Catherine. They had to keep you under so you could heal."

Catherine let out a low whistle. She was suddenly eager to speak to her doctor. What kind of injuries could have caused her to be placed in a medically induced coma for a week? Aside from a deep ache she felt in her mid-drift, she was basically in the dark.

"Can you tell me what happened? Things are kind of fuzzy for me." Catherine asked, sheepishly.

Vincent frowned. He squeezed her hand, aware that Catherine wasn't going to enjoy this anymore than he would.

He went through the whole story, right through to the end of her surgery.

By the end of it, Catherine was visibly shaken. Not just for how harrowing of a tale it was, but because of the implications. "Have you seen Tess since it happened?"

Vincent shook his head. "No, I haven't. But when you feel up to it, talk to her. And don't worry about me, I trust Tess." He offered an encouraging smile.

That was not the response she was expecting, but she'd take it. "Where is everyone?"

"Well, your sister and Tess have been basically living here since you were admitted. The hospital staff finally kicked them out yesterday." He snickered and shook his head, sympathizing for the poor nurses that would have to face them in the morning. "They're gonna be so pissed when they find out you woke up the one night they were gone."

Cat studied Vincent for a moment, taking him in. She could see the dark circles under his eyes and how unkempt he was. But the most garish quality of his appearance was the guilt _in_ his eyes. It was radiating off him.

She slipped her hand back into his. "This isn't your fault, Vincent."

He stared at her incredulously. "You couldn't possibly mean that. I told you what they said."

"I know, but that doesn't make you responsible. Bad people do bad things. Period. And we still don't know if Muirfield is behind this, right?" Vincent shook his head reluctantly. "So let's not jump to conclusions until we know for sure."

Vincent felt exasperated. "Catherine, please. I want you to focus on getting better, not worrying about my guilty conscience."

Catherine sighed. She'd let it go for now. "Okay." She rubbed her thumb against his knuckles, easing the tension right out of him. Vincent smiled warmly at their joined hands. When he looked back up at her, he could tell that she was drifting. He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "Don't fight it Catherine, you need to rest."

Even as her eyes closed, she smiled. "Promise you'll stay with me while I sleep?"

He smiled, too. "There's no other place I'd rather be."

**VCVCVC**

Later that morning, Cat's tiny room was brimming with people, not to mention flowers. Heather, her dad and Tess gathered around her bed while a nurse checked her vitals. Dr. Barnes was there too, having just relayed to her all the physical ailments she was facing and would continue to face for some time. Her hospital stay would last another ten days at least, and then the physical therapy would begin. The road was going to be a long one, but as Catherine looked around at her makeshift family and thought of the beautiful man just outside her window, she knew she'd be okay.

The room cleared out pretty quick, the nurse and Dr. Barnes to finish their rounds, and Cat's dad so that he could get back to the office. Heather _wanted_ to stay, but Cat reminded her that she had a new job to keep, and that she would still be there when her shift was over. When Cat turned to convince Tess to go home and get some rest, Tess just gave her a look that said, 'Don't even _try_ it.'

"How do you feel?" Tess asked delicately.

Cat groaned. "Like I just had five sets of hands feeling up my guts." They both laughed until Cat pulled slightly at her stitches, causing her to grimace.

"Are you okay?" Tess asked quickly.

Cat waved her off. "Yeah, no big deal." But when she looked up and saw the mortified look on her partner's face, she regretted her casual response.

Cat reached out and gently grabbed Tess's wrist. She knew all of this had to have been hard on her, too. "How are _you_ doing?"

Tess shook her head with an embarrassed smile. "Dude, I've cried more in the last week than I did in each of the 29 years I've been alive _combined_. You turned me into such a wuss."

Cat smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry Tess. I promise to never put you in that position again, as long as I can help it."

They paused for a moment, neither one knowing what exactly to say next. There were a few conversations floating around that they needed to have, and they both knew it.

Cat decided to jump in headfirst. "How's the investigation going?"

Tess shrugged. "It's not my case, but Joe's been keeping me in the loop. The three guys that attacked us were members of the Latin Kings." Catherine raised her brows is surprise. There was nothing about this that felt like random gang violence.

Seeming to sense Cat's surprise, she explained, "Joe cross-referenced some of our recent cases; he felt like the nature of the assault was more like a vendetta." Cat swallowed, and Tess took notice. But she continued on. "Turns out he was right. Remember that case we got a few weeks ago, with the mugger that got killed by the vigilante while trying to rob a liquor store? He was the brother of one of the guys that stabbed you, and _also_ a Latin King."

Catherine became thoughtful for a moment. So these guys must've seen Vincent, followed him around, leading them to her and decided to dish out a little bit of their own brand of justice. At least Muirfield wasn't involved. But Catherine knew it was still gonna be difficult to convince Vincent that he still wasn't responsible. He was stubborn that way.

While she was stuck in her reverie, Tess watched her closely. Frankly, she had a few questions of her own.

"So…who's Vincent?"

Cat, in spite of the seriousness of the question, cracked a smile. "No beating around the bush with you, is there?"

Tess smirked. "You know me well." She paused, making steady eye contact. "And you know you can trust me, too, right?"

Cat's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Of course I do. Me, keeping Vincent a secret from you, was never about a lack of trust. It's just that…the more people that know about him, the more likely it becomes that someone will get hurt."

Tess perched an eyebrow, pointing at Cat's heart monitor. "Hurt like this?" She challenged.

"Fair question, but no, not exactly."

"Listen, Cat. All I need you to know is that no matter _what_, I've got your back. You're my partner, and more than that, you're my best friend. That means I'm rolling with you 'til the wheels fall off. Okay?"

Cat squeezed her hand again and nodded. "Ditto."

Neither one said anything for a moment, both feeling a deep surge emotion. Tess groaned and swiped at her eyes. "Ugh, you're making me do it again."

Cat laughed. "You're probably just pre-menopausal." She teased.

"Don't even joke about that." Tess deadpanned.

She leaned back in her chair. "So are you gonna tell me about this Vincent guy or what?"

"How much time you got?"

Tess folded her arms. "I'm not going anywhere until you do."

So Cat delved into the whole story, starting with her mother's murder all the way through to when Vincent resuscitated her in the hospital. Tess wore the shock she felt all over her face.

"Wow, Cat. That's nuts."

"Believe me, I know. But you have to _promise_ that you won't tell anybody. It's a huge responsibility, Tess. Especially with the investigation. People are really gonna start asking questions now."

"Don't worry about me, dude. I'm a better liar than you anyway."

Cat laughed softly. The fact that Tess was in the loop now took a huge weight off her shoulders and gave a great deal of comfort. She wouldn't have to carry the load on her own anymore.

"I wanna meet him. Officially."

Cat grinned puckishly. "That should be easy enough to arrange." She turned her head toward the window. "Vincent? You wanna come in?"

The opening of the window was her answer. Vincent smiled sheepishly, stepping inside.

Tess cocked an eyebrow and wagged her thumb towards him. "Has he been here this whole time?"

"Try all week."

Tess shrugged disbelievingly and stood, walking over to Vincent and offering a handshake. He smiled graciously and shook it.

"Thanks for saving my partner's butt. _Twice_."

"A lot more than that, but who's counting." Cat whispered.

Tess and a relieved Vincent settled in around Catherine's bed. They spent the rest of the morning getting to know each other, while Vincent doted on Catherine, never breaking physical contact with her. It had been a traumatic experience that brought them all to this moment of peace and progress. But they made it through, and would be so much stronger because of it.

**End**


	2. Author's Note

~Author's Note~

Hey guys! Thanks for your warm response, I'm excited to announce that I'll be doing a sequel to this story called "Over The Edge". Stay tuned, the first chapter should be up within a couple of days. :-)

~Ari


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